Wolverine Building Group and MIOSHA Partner to Protect Workers During Construction of Student Housing in Allendale

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 18, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The Wolverine Building Group (WBG) and Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) signed a formal partnership with the goal of enhanced safety and health, and zero worker injuries during the construction of a new student housing apartment complex. MIOSHA is part of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).

Student Housing ProjectThe project, which officially began this month and is expected to be completed by June 2016, involves the construction of 13, three-story buildings on a 15 acre site, with two and three-bedroom units, a clubhouse, pool, volleyball and basketball courts, a grilling station, and more.

“MIOSHA commends Wolverine for its high standards of safety and health on all projects,” said MIOSHA Director Martha Yoder. “As we participate in the ‘National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction’ this month, this project is especially relevant to protecting workers from falls – a leading cause of death for construction workers.”

Signing partners included Yoder and Wolverine’s Safety Director Ted Bergin, Project Manager Damian Millisor, and Site Supervisor Shane Adams. Some partnering subcontractors were also in attendance.

“We view MIOSHA as a partner on every job, not just on our partnership, but on all of our jobs,” said Bergin. “They have the same goal that we do, that every worker goes safely home to the ones they love.”

Wolverine Building Group and MIOSHA PartnershipPartnerships are an important emphasis in the MIOSHA Strategic Plan to improve the health and safety of workers through cooperative relationships; they move away from traditional enforcement methods and embrace collaborative agreements.

The safety and health of the project’s employees is fundamental to this partnership with MIOSHA. The leadership of Wolverine, partnering contractors, LARA and MIOSHA are aligned and committed to achieving the objective of worker protection by providing a workplace with an effective safety management system that is hazard-free.

All partners agree to commit their leadership, time and resources to achieve this valuable goal.
Partnering employers include:

Cutting Edge Excavation
Hovingh Concrete
Dykstra Cement
Dave Bouwkamp Masonry
Fair and Square Construction
Harrigan Finish Carpentry
American Classic Construction
Spoelstra Pools
Velco Plumbing
Dependable Fire Protection
Engineered Heating and Cooling
Pylman Power, Inc.
Randl Interiors
White and White Painting
Michigan Ornamental Iron
Key elements of the site-specific safety and health program for construction include:

Adherence to all safety policies, procedures, and MIOSHA standards.
100 percent fall protection over six feet, including steel erection and roof work (the use of a Safety Monitor system is specifically prohibited in all cases).
100 percent Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including hard hats, high visibility clothing or vests, eye protection – ANSI Z-71 rated prescription eye wear with side shields or ANSI Z-87.1 protective safety glasses with built in side shields – and appropriate work footwear.
Mandatory attendance to a project safety orientation. This includes project orientation, a project-specific safety video, and signing the written commitment document at the completion of the session.
All crane operators will be Certified Crane Operators (CCO) as recognized by National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) and other recognized certification agencies.
Mandatory post-accident substance abuse testing.
Pre-Task Analysis (PTA’s) are to be completed and submitted to WBG prior to the beginning of critical work.
Contractors shall provide a Competent and/or Qualified Person for work operations as identified by MIOSHA standards and/or WBG.
WBG and the partnering employers on this project will uniformly enforce a disciplinary action plan for employees who fail to work in a safe manner. Automatic dismissal from this project shall result from any willful or deliberate violation of safety rules or safety policies and procedures.
The partnership does not preclude MIOSHA from enforcing its mission of addressing complaints, fatalities, or serious accidents, nor does it infringe on the rights of employees to report workplace hazards.

Wolverine Building Group seeks to be a leader in construction safety and does not accept simply following what others do. WBG works diligently to educate its staff on safety as a cultural statement rather than just as an enforcement tool. Its sub-contractors understand work expectations and the company seeks out the highest performers to achieve that ideal. The company’s goal is that all trades on a Wolverine Building Group site go home each night in as good or better condition than they arrived.

Contact: Tanya Baker 517-373-9280